Organisers of GITEX Africa 2024 are getting ready to welcome thousands of influential names in the global startup and tech community at its second annual event in Marrakech, Morocco.
The three-day event, which will take place from May 29-31, builds off the success of its inaugural conference and exhibit last year, which was attended by over 35,000 participants and 900 exhibitors from 128 countries.
“This sequel of GITEX Africa this year follows the upbeat trend of tech discovery we created last year in its inaugural edition,” says Trixie LohMirmand, CEO of KAOUN International, organiser of GITEX Africa.
“The global community is experiencing the growing energy, curiosity and demand for digital advancement from Africa, which is outpacing that of matured developed continents.
“The depth and breadth of tech showcased, including the much-hyped AI in society and business at GITEX Africa, shall be an eye-opening experience fostering great knowledge sharing and collaboration opportunities between the public and private sectors, and amongst businesses across the world.”
As well as the conference and stands, this year’s event will feature a startup pitch competition with a prize of US$100,000, and certified training and workshops on topics including generative AI, developing blockchain and data science application.
GITEX Africa 2024 will also host its North Star Africa startup showcase, shining a spotlight on entrepreneurs and founders from the continent.
A global gathering
Notable speakers announced so far for this year’s event include Raz Bachar, managing director and global industry lead at Microsoft for Startups; Maelis Carraro, managing partner at Catalyst Fund; Tosin Eniolorunda, co-founder and CEO at Moniepoint; and Romanna Dada, head of ventures at PwC.
Moroccan startups that are advancing tech and innovation across the region are also returning to GITEX Africa including Maroc Data Centre, Zen Networks, Dataprotect and Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), the show’s official R&D partner.
“We are excited to elevate our role at GITEX Africa, not merely as a leading R&D collaborator, but as a beacon of innovation,” says Yassine Laghzioui, CEO of UM6P Ventures and director of entrepreneurship and venturing at UM6P.
“Our partnership with GITEX Africa underscores our dedication to driving progress in science, technology and investment realms. We aim to nurture and scale deeptech ventures across Africa through our targeted entrepreneurship and venturing programmes, moving beyond Morocco’s borders.
“GITEX Africa offers an unparalleled opportunity for UM6P to forge strategic partnerships, showcasing our ground-breaking initiatives in diverse sectors such as healthtech, biotech, agritech and greentech.”
A blossoming ecosystem
GITEX Africa 2024 offers attendees the chance to network with like minded professionals operating in sectors covering the cloud and IOT, cybersecurity, digital health, future finance, consumer tech, telecoms and AI – making it an event that European startups should also add to their calendar.
It offers the chance for visitors to meet potential investors, learn from influential speakers in their respective sectors, and meet the latest emerging startup talent.
Despite a global slowdown in venture capital, African tech startups raised a total of $6.5B in 2022, up 8% year-on-year.
In an interview with Maddyness UK last year, London-based VC Breega – which made a commitment to support African startups – said Africa’s tech ecosystem in 2023 was comparable to where Europe was in the early 2010s, and expected GDP growth will lead to subsequent investments in tech and high attractivity of the continent for international investors.
“Africa has been our focus; it’s the newly emerging continent for the digital workforce and digital transformation,” said Thomas Pramotedham, CEO of Presight.
“Presight has multiple digital transformation programmes with several African governments and in 2024, we aim to contribute even more to the continent’s thriving tech ecosystem. Our goal is to make a positive societal impact using our big data analytics capabilities powered by generative AI.
“With GITEX Africa playing a key role, we’re excited to be part of discussions shaping the continent’s digital transformation journey.”
Bertrand Trastour, general manager for France and North, Central and West Africa at cybersecurity company Kaspersky, will also be in attendance.
“GITEX Africa is a very important platform for Kaspersky as it allows us to inform our customers and partners about our growth strategy and potential,” says Trastour. “Digitalisation is a high priority in African markets, and cybersecurity is the foundation for this successful transformation.”
GITEX Africa 2024 will take place in Marrakech, Morocco from May 29-31. Find out more here.